Survey Findings: Wireless in the Classroom

Cara LaneResearch ScientistCatalyst Research & Development

2005 Ed Tech Surveys• Instructor Survey

– 1422 respondents=34.4% response rate– 884 faculty members

• Student Survey– 987 respondents=28.2% response rate– 648 undergraduate students

• Focus Groups– 40 instructors– 25 students

Laptops and Wireless

• Survey questions

–Do you bring a laptop computer to the class?

–If more classrooms had wireless Internet connections would you take a laptop computer to class?

Facu

lty 2

005

Ugr

ads

2005

Ugr

ads

2002

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Laptop Owners

Cur

rent

Wire

less

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Never/Seldom Sometimes Usually/Always

Faculty: Laptop Use in Class

Cur

rent

Wire

less

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Never/Seldom Sometimes Usually/Always

Undergraduates: Laptop Use in Class

Focus Group Question The University of Washington’s

strategic plan calls for wireless access campus wide within three years. Considering that, how do you see the use of educational technologies changing in those three years?

Student Quote

• The ability to get online whenever I need has a huge impact on my ability to look up study materials for class.

Student Quote

• Having the Internet in classrooms just encourages students to tune out, browse the Internet, watch videos, or do things other than paying attention.

Faculty Quote

• My concern about a wireless policy all over campus would be that wireless would be there, but nothing that supports good teaching with wireless would be there.